The Hoist
Established in 1996 and still going rather strong, the Hoist is located under railway arches like many of Vauxhall’s other gay clubs, but is far more considerate of extreme tastes, from serious leather, rubber and skinhead to light leather and dirty textiles. In the 2010s naked-only sessions have become a fixture, often outselling the fetish-minded: SBN/Stark Bollock Naked (Sun afternoon and, from November 2012, Sat nights) and NBN/Nearly Bollock Naked (Wed and Sun evening). Other regular slots include CP/spanking club Boys & Sirs (Sat afternoons), Office (formal work gear and underwear, Weds from 5pm, monthly SM Gays evenings (Thu), monthly rubber club Gummi (Sun), fisting-friendly nights and occasional formal-leather BLUF parties. In 2012 Arch 2, previously pretty much a murky darkroom for Arch 1 customers, became the atmospheric, basement-like Bar Berlin, playing host to (and refuge for) Arch 1 leather/rubber exiles on Sat nights. In March 2014 a documentary about the Hoist made by US directors Charles Lum and Todd Verow was screened at BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. And on 20 June 2014 the Hoist’s Arch 2 hosted queer polysexual fetish gathering Klub Fukk – the club’s first ever women-inclusive sex event. An outlet of RoB vacated Arch 2 in July 2014.
Arches 47b and 47c, South Lambeth Rd, London London SW8 1RH